On Aug 30, 2006, I found out that my then 6 yr old son has Tourette's Syndrome. I'm gonna work it out here.
The caveat is, I'm going to work out pretty much everything ELSE in my life here, too. So, hop on. 'Cause here we go.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Holiday Stress?

In my last report, The Boy was doing swimmingly. Few to no tics and things were great. You'd think that, for a six year old, starting your almost-month-long winter vacation would totally mellow you out. But alas, we've noticed quite a pronounced increase in The Boy's tics since he started vacation.

His exaggerated blinking was almost non existent. It is now very noticable again and so much so that he has to tip his head down in order to look at you from underneath his eyebrows again. That had disappeared. But it's back.

The other day, hubby noticed that a modified "Spidey Hands" was back (see my 09/11/06 posting). We haven't seen that since...I don't even know.

Verbal tics are back. Mostly that same one I tried (poorly) to describe in a recent post where it almost sounds like he's blowing quickly out of his mouth between words or sentences. I've also noticed a bit of stammering here and there. Or...more like...hesitation in his speech - which isn't normal for him. It sounds like a nervous kid speaking. And he's not a nervous kid. He's a very eloquent speaker usually.

The one that bugged me (or made me nervous) the most showed up for one day and seems to be gone. He was talking to me and I noticed a tiny shake of the head. It was a very slight side-to-side movement kind of like when you're telling someone something that you just can't believe? Like you're shaking your head in disbelief - a slight no. That was over this past weekend. I noticed it for most of a day and haven't really seen it since.

Yes, everything is mild. I'm still thankful for that. But every now and then, I get these moments of panic. I get these visions of what things might grow into. I know I shouldn't worry until there is something to worry about. But anyone who loves a small person knows - you just want to fight off anything that will cause them ridicule. Even without the TS, he will get noticed by the kids who search for difference. Every kid takes their lumps at some point. Those idiot kids will find a reason. But man, big tics are just a giant target sign. Guh!!! It just kills me to think of it.

I gotta get my head out of this state. I have to go pray. See you all later.

Trish is right. I'm sure you already know this, too, but I just read the psychiatrist report where you said Liam needed routine, schedule, predictability . . .none of the things you have during break from school. Tyler's been a little more "interesting" to deal with while on break as well. Routine kids just need their routine! I bet you will see changes for the good when school starts back. Until then, maybe a daily "chat and list" of activities for the day would help? I don't know. I think we may need to do that here, though!! Let's quit our other jobs and just pray, how about!!

Your blog came back in a Google search I was doing about my son's TS. I don't know a lot about blogging, but I've been dealing with TS for maybe 7 years, only 5 years of knowing what we were dealing with.

I've read several of your posts, and I think you have a great outlook. I'm feeling compelled to comment on this particular post because my son's tics also get worse over vacation very often. This used to really bother me, because, like your post about stress causing tics (yup!), I was concerned that maybe I was having a bad effect on his tics. My temperament is usually very calm, but every now and then when I have a rough day, I see it reflected back in his tics.

What I've realized over the years is that the tics are worse over vacation because of "the screens:" TV, video games, computer. During normal school days, and in the summer when there is much more outdoor time, there also happens to be less "screen" time. There is a huge correlation here on this for us.

As we face the upcoming vacation, I'm reminded that I have to get creative about how my son spends his time, or his tics will show that I let it slide on "the screens."

I don't know if this info will help you and your son, but it's been a huge discovery for us, and one that I wish someone had told me about way back when, so I hope it helps.

BTW, my son's tics started immediately after we bought him a Playstation. It wasn't clear then, but it is now.

I wish you all the best, and will be coming back to check out how things are going for your son. Your description of him reminds me so, so much of my son. As one doctor put it "He's scary smart." I sometimes think of it like this: he is always "on." Tics, brain power, talking, thinking, accumulating absurd amounts of knowledge. When he was little, I told him that the tics were his brain using up all of that extra power.